Music Marketing 101

The music industry has undergone extreme changes over the past few years, many of which have opened the doors for developing bands and artists. Gone are the days where the only option for getting fans to hear your music relied upon support from a limited number of "gatekeepers." Music Marketing 101 provides artists, managers, and business entrepreneurs with the foundational music marketing base they'll need to succeed and thrive in this new music business.

This course starts with the basics - an overview of key music marketing principles, terms, and practices which together form the foundation for all music marketing plans. From there, students will dig into the key areas of opportunities for musicians, including merchandising, publicity, radio promotion (online and traditional), retail & distribution (online and traditional), advertising, and touring. Students will learn what companies and partners to work with to reach their core fans, how to communicate with them, and the ways to leverage the changes and new opportunities that the internet offers to marketers. The information in this course can form the basis for a full marketing campaign, or be immediately implemented into a new marketing and promotion campaign. This course looks at the opportunities available at both traditional terrestrial marketing opportunities, as well as online opportunities. By the end of the course you will have an active marketing plan and timeline tailored to your own unique strengths and budget.

By the end of this course, you will:

Gain a firm understanding of the foundational best practices involved with all successful music marketing campaigns

Develop an integrated approach to music marketing in the focus areas of Press, Retail, Distribution (online and traditional), Radio, Advertising, Merchandising, and Touring

Understand online music distribution and retail: the terms, deals, formats, options, and key companies to work with

Know the PR outlets that matter - national, regional, local, specialized and trade press - how and when to communicate to them, and when to hire outside help

Learn how to get your music into brick and mortar independent retailers, what kind of materials you should make to support your release, and the inner workings of the online retail and distribution outlets

Understand how radio promotion works, and learn when you should consider an independent promotion company

Know what to make for merchandise, when to make it, and how much to spend

Create a timeline and a working marketing plan tailored to your individual strengths

Lesson 1: Getting Started with Music Marketing

An Integrated Approach to Marketing

How Press, Radio, Retail, Internet and Touring Work Together

Core Marketing Elements

Awareness, Demand, and Sales Vehicles

Important Music Marketing Terms You Should Know

Discussion: The Record Release Process

Touring, Merch, and the Importance of Building a Community

Touring and Merchandise as a Revenue Stream

Artist Case Study: Phish and Building a Community/Exploding their Fan Base

Ten Keys to the Band's Community Building Success

The Future of Music Coalition's Kristin Thomson on Merch and Touring

Maximizing Your E-Mail List

E-mail Best Practices

Process

Organizing Your Street Team

Quiz: Getting Started with Music Marketing

Assignment 1: The Guster Rep Program

Lesson 2: Making Money through Merchandise Sales

The Artist as a Brand

Taking Advantage of Revenue Streams

Discussion: Artists & Licensing

How Merchandising Works, Who's Involved, and Where the Money Comes From

Having your Label Handle Your Merchandise

Working with a Merchandiser

Merchandise on Your Own

Putting Together Your Plan: What to Make, What Not to Make, How Much to Make, How to Make It

Essential Items

Nonessential Items

The Importance of Merch

Merchandising Sales and Distribution Strategies

Selling Your Merch at Shows

Selling Your Merch Online from Your Own Site

Basic Online Store/Fulfillment/Merch Companies

Online Fulfillment Companies for Musicians

Manufacturing Merch and the Merch Table

Quiz: Making Money Through Merchandise Sales

Assignment 2: Your Band's Info

Lesson 3: Digital Retailers and Distributors

Digital Distribution Basics

Compression

DRM

Metadata

UPC

Online Music Retail Models

Permanent Downloads

Temporary Usage

Ad-Supported

Discussion: Streaming Services (Part 1)

Working with Online Music Retail Outlets

iTunes

Amazon MP3

Google Music

eMusic

Rhapsody

Spotify

From the Field Series

Online Music Aggregators/Distributors

CD Baby

TuneCore

Other Distributors

Discussion: Zoe Keating's Online Income

Larger Online Distributors with Benefits

Assignment 3: Downloading Music vs. Streaming Music

Lesson 4: Traditional Brick-and-Mortar Distributors

Physical Music Distributors: The Process and the Players

Major Distributors

Independent Distributors

True Independent Distributors

When Do You Need Physical Distribution?

Independent Artists and Distribution

Dalton Sim on the Difficulties and Opportunities with Physical Distribution

The Details

Distribution Fee and How It Is Calculated

Returns Reserves

Discounts, Manufacturing, Payment

Co-Op

Co-Op Opportunities at Retail

Free Goods

Marketing Tools: Helping Your Distributor Help You

Marketing Tools for Your Distributor

Promo Copies and P.O.P

Communicating with Your Distributor

Assignment 4: Physical Distribution

Lesson 5: Marketing to Traditional Retail

Setting the Stage: The Problems with Retail, and How Smart Stores Are Overcoming Them

Low Margin / High CD Prices

Big Box Competition

The Importance of the Independent Retailer and Retail Coalitions

Benefits of Independent Retailers

How Smart Independents are Competing in This Environment

Specialization

From the Field Series

Consignment and Pricing Considerations

Retail Marketing Opportunities and Resources

In-Store Performances

Price and Positioning, Co-Op, and P.O.P. Items

Cover Art and Effective Packaging

Other Helpful Packaging Elements

SoundScan

Why SoundScan

Dalton Sim on Opportunities with Physical Retail

Assignment 5: Retail Field Report

Lesson 6: Publicity

Press Kit Essential

What Makes a Good Promo Kit?

Optional Materials

Digital Servicing vs. Physical Servicing

Common Problems with Promo Kits

The Importance of a Press Story

A Press Story in Action with a Major Artist

A Press Story in Action with a Developing Artist

Discussion: Nelson Wells on Telling Your Story to the Press

Determining Your Press Outlets: Print, Radio, TV, and Online

Print

How to Pitch Print Media

Television/Radio

Blogs/Online Music Sites

Independent Publicists

When Do You Need an Independent Publicist

What a Publicist Can and Can't Do

Dalton Sim on Independent Publicists

Assignment 6: Drafting Your Press Story

Lesson 7: Radio

When Should You Consider Radio Promotion?

When Should You Consider Radio Support?

What Else Should Be in Place Prior to Considering Your Radio Campaign?

When Should You Consider an online Radio Campaign?

How Noncommercial Radio Works

How College Radio Works

Current College Radio Challenges

What Is CMJ and Why Does It Matter?

How Noncommercial Community/Public Radio Works

Marketing to Noncommercial Radio

How Commercial Radio Works

Commercial Radio Formats

Charts and Reporting Commercial Radio Airplay

Independent Radio Promoters

What You Need to Look for in an Independent Radio Promoter

What an Indie Promoter Can (and Should) Do for You

How Long You Should Hire an Indie Promoter For

The Future of Radio: Internet Radio

Internet Radio and Social Networking

Marketing to Internet Radio

Internet Radio Royalties

Satellite Radio

Dalton Sim and Opportunities with Radio

Assignment 7: Researching Radio Options

Lesson 8: Making the Most of a National Tour

Key Players in the Touring Business

Club Owners, Promoters, Event Organizers

Booking Your Gig

Discussion: Harpers Ferry Booking

Promoting the Show: Working with the Venue

What you should be doing to promote yourself

Promoting the Show: Press

Tour Press Release

Promoting the Show: Retail

Benji Rogers on Touring

Tour Support from a Label

How Tour Support Works

Kristin Thomson on the Financials of Touring

Making the Band: Dalton Sim on Touring

Discussion: Dalton Sim on Touring

Expanding your Touring Base with Mike King

Assignment 8: Planning Your Tour

Lesson 9: Advertising

Print Advertising Options: Consumer, Trade, and Co-Op Print Ads

Discussion: Zine Focused Ad Plan (Part 1)

Researching Your Print Advertising Outlets

Media Advertising: Radio and Television

Online Radio

Discussion: NPR Ad Plan (Part 2)

Online Advertising: The Basics

Online Advertising: Researching Your Advertising Outlets

Online Advertising: Other Terms You Should Know

Online Advertising: Facebook Overview

Online Advertising: Facebook Process

Components of an Effective Ad

Headline

Description/Press Quotes

Call to Action

Timing Your Ad Campaign

Assignment 9: Create an Advertising Plan

Lesson 10: Sync and Licensing

Music Publishing & Licensing

Publishing: Ray Lamontagne

Publishing: Jim Lauderdale

From The Field: John Allen on Publishing

Music Uses & Sync Licensing

From The Field: John Allen on Sync Uses

Music Supervisors

Music Supervisor Chat with Toddrick Spalding

The Figgs: Music Supervision In Action

Discussion: Dalton Sim on Publishing Collaboration with Marketing

Behind The Band with Sloan: Mike Nelson, Manager

Music Houses

From The Field: Steve Krecklo

Assignment 10: Music and Sync Uses

Lesson 11: Creating a Marketing Plan That Works

The Big Picture

Defining Your Goals

How Do I Pull All of This Off?

Finding Your Audience and Defining Your Market

Exercise: Set Goals and Define Audience (Part 1)

Components of an Effective Marketing Plan

Budgeting! The Components of a New Release Budget

Exercise: Setting Budget (Part 2)

Tailoring Your Plan to Your Strengths

Costs vs. Expense of your Marketing Initiatives

Assignment 11: Creating Your Final Marketing Plan

Lesson 12: Timing Your Marketing Campaign: Putting It All Together

Timing the Pre-Release Marketing of Your Record

Long Lead Pre-Release Marketing (15-20 weeks out from street date)

Moderate Lead Pre-Release Marketing (7-14 weeks our from street date)

Short Lead Pre-Release Marketing

How to Service Key Marketing Outlets Pre-Release

Pre-Release Marketing to Print Press

Pre-Release Marketing to Radio

Pre-Release Marketing to Retail

Pre-Release Marketing to Blogs

Post-Release Marketing Recap

Dalton Sim on Putting your Marketing Plan Together

Phase II Marketing: Capitalizing on Your Success

Exercise: Phase II Marketing

Assignment 12: Your Final Plan

Mike King

Author

Mike King is a course author, instructor, and the Vice President of Enrollment at Berklee College of Music and Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) at Berklee Online. Prior to working at Berklee, Mike was the Marketing/Product Manager at Rykodisc, where he oversaw marketing efforts for label artists including Mickey Hart, Jeb Loy Nichols, Morphine, Jess Klein, Voices On The Verge, Bill Hicks, The Slip, Pork Tornado (Phish), Kelly Joe Phelps, and Frank Zappa's estate. Mike was the Director of Marketing and Managing Editor of Herb Alpert's online musician's resource, www.artistshousemusic.org, for three years.

Mike has written and teaches three courses for Berklee Online: Music Marketing 101; Online Music Marketing: Campaign Strategies, Social Media, and Digital Distribution; and Music Business Trends and Strategies. His book, Music Marketing: Press, Promotion, Distribution, and Retail was published by Berklee Press in 2009. Mike was recognized as the Best Music Business Teacher by the National Association of Record Industry Professionals (NARIP) in 2011.

Mike has written for Making Music magazine, International Musician, Hypebot, and American Songwriter, and has been quoted in NPR Morning Edition, the Huffington Post, Billboard, The Boston Globe, Wired, CNN, the Boston Phoenix, The Chicago Tribune, Music Connection, and Muso. He's also presented at MIDEM, CMJ, SXSW, NAMM, NARM, SF Music Tech, Futures of Entertainment @ MIT, and Music 2.0.

John Lenac

Instructor

John Lenac has helped to drive the evolution of the technology and music landscape since his days as a musician, band manager, and local concert promoter in the late '80s. He helped launch one of the first Alternative Rock FM stations (KTOZ, circa 1991), and grew it to become one of the highest-rated stations in the US. After programming and managing rock stations in Nashville and Kansas City, he was a Promotion Manager at TVT Records and then Rock Editor at HITS Magazine.

In 2004, he joined LAUNCH/Yahoo! Music. As Head of Music Programming and Artist/Label Relations, he managed a team of radio and video music programmers and interfaced with record labels, artist managers, artists, and business leaders for Yahoo’s branded original content music programs. He then joined PledgeMusic as the Global Head of Business Development, negotiating and closing deals with record labels and various manufacturing, marketing, and ticketing companies. John has been developing and managing artists his whole career, served as the president of a music festival/concert series, and founded and ran his own FM talent management company.

John's work has contributed to millions of albums sold and put dozens of gold and platinum plaques on his wall. He has been a guest lecturer at several schools, including UCLA. He's been a panel moderator and panelist at music industry conventions all over the world, including: SXSW, CMJ, MUSEXPO, Worldwide Radio Summit, One Movement Festival, Music Export Finland, MUSEXPO EUROPE, and The Global Rock Summit. He has also been interviewed by various media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, Variety, Records & Radio, Billboard, FMQB, and MTV.

John is currently the Founder/CEO of TechIT Media Group (consultancy for tech & media startups) and also Founder/CEO of WITHYN (record label, artist management and live events).

Jay Coyle

Instructor

Jay Coyle is the founder and "Music Geek" at the digital marketing firm, Music Geek Services. His company provides artist services for the music industry and has been a Topspin-certified marketer since 2009. Built upon a life-long omnivorous obsession with marketing bands and mixing in equal parts of knowledge gained from an advertising-focused Journalism degree at the University of Georgia along with his skills running a Marketing consultancy for 5 years in Atlanta, Music Geek Services was finally created in 2008 immediately after Jay left a marketing position at the EMI CMG label in Nashville.

Jay's first project under the Music Geek moniker was doing work as band archivist and label product manager for Canadian music veterans, Barenaked Ladies. Since then, Jay has worn a lot of hats including sales, marketing, artist development, business development, tour management, and product management. Jay is currently working with Sloan, the Presidents of the United States of America, Jars of Clay, and Carbon Leaf. Jay's core focus is to help further the careers of artists while partnering with them in a "D.I.Y. +" sort of way to have long-lasting and fan-focused careers.

Seth Hochman

Instructor

Seth Hochman is a music business veteran who has worked for Epic Records, Warner Music Group, and Universal Music Group. He has held various marketing and digital account roles working with innovative commercial partners. His most recent role was with Universal Music Group as a Commercial Services Account Director, managing day-to-day business relationships with streaming partners. He launched & marketed UMG's content on Spotify, from it's introduction in the US in 2011 through it's explosive growth stages. As account lead, Seth led UMG’s 20+ labels through an evolution in music consumption and revenue growth. Best practices that were developed over three years with Spotify were then focused on video streaming with Vevo, the #1 premium music video channel on YouTube. He worked with labels, artists, and digital marketing teams to develop and monetize visual content. With both Spotify and Vevo, Seth was responsible for Universal's digital advertising strategies which increased download sales and streaming revenue for the company. Prior to working for major labels he was part of the original marketing team that launched Barnes & Noble.com and developed promotional strategies for Kozmo.com, an early forerunner in the on-demand delivery business.

Bruce Houghton

Instructor

Bruce Houghton is founder and president of Skyline Artists Agency, representing a diverse roster of national and international touring talent including Zoe Keating, Darlingside, The Smithereens, Poco, Roger McGuinn and many others. A sought-after industry expert, he serves on the Advisory Board of SXSW Accelerator and was a graduate of the prestigious Leadership Music Class of 2016. His top ranked sites Hypebot.com and MusicThinkTank.com cover the new music industry and how technology is changing the way that music is created, marketed, consumed and monetized.

Prerequisites

None required

Recommended Textbook

While not a requirement, Music Marketing: Press, Promotion, Distribution, and Retail is a companion book to this course, containing additional interviews and content which complements the online course material.

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